Fillerless aircooled pillows with vaporizers



K. E. MIRA 2,890,465

FILLERLESS AIRCOOLED PILLOWS WITH VAPORIZERS June 16, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed D66. 23, 1957 INVENTOR.

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United States Patent Ofiice 2,890,465. Patented June 16, 1959 FILLERLESS AIRCOOLED PILLOWS WITH VAPORIZERS Karl E. Mira, Rego Park, N.Y.

Application December 23, 1957, Serial No. 704,411

4 Claims. (CL 338) The present invention relates to improvements in pillows and, more specifically, to hollow pillows which are not filled with feathers or the like.

Hollow pillows have the advantage over filled pillows that the accumulation of germs and dust in the upholstery material is avoided and that they do not cause perspiration because the body heat of the head of a person will not be accumulated and/or reflected by feathers or by any other heat-insulating or heat-reflecting upholstery marelates also to an improvement over the pillow disclosed by my Patent No. 2,663,881, dated December 29, 1933.

One object of the present invention is the provision of a hollow pillow which has substantially the same outer appearance as an ordinary pillow due to the fact that it is all around soft and closed, and which obtains the necessary resiliency primarily from air filled lateral members that also render the pillow adjustable, so that it can be made in various degrees compressible to promote the convenience of the user.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pillow of the above mentioned character which may be readily collapsed for the purpose of shipment, and the parts of which can be readily separated for cleaning, sterilizing or other purposes; and said parts are constructed and arranged in such a manner as to allow the insertion into the pillow of various cooling, heating, inhalation, vaporizing and medication devices, which may operate inside of the pillow without opening the same and even without disturbing a person resting thereupon.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pillow of the above mentioned character which is simple in construction, comparatively light in weight, and easy to manipulate, as well as sturdy, durable, and well adapted for withstanding the rough usage to which devices of this type frequently are subjected.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and com- .binations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawings preferred forms of the invention have been shown.

In said drawings: Figure l is a side view of a preferred embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a side view of a modification; Fig. 5 is a bottom plan View of the modification of Fig. 4; and, Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the numeral 1 denotes a substantially I-shaped base member which has a web portion 2 and flange portions 3 which are rightangularly disposed to the portion 2. The member 1 can be made of metal or plastic material or the like, and it is of such a thickness that it is sturdy but still has a certain degree of resiliency. An angle bar 4, which has an elongated branch 5 and a shortened branch 7, is with its branch 5 attached to the outer side of each flange portion 3. An I-shaped piece 10 of foam rubber or of any other suitable soft material, which preferably is somewhat larger than the member 1, has a web portion 11 and flange portions 12, each of which is folded longitudinally and placed over a branch 5 and a flange portion 3, whereas the web portion 11 of the member 10 covers the upper side of the web portion 2 of the member 1 and laterally protrudes beyond the same. An inflated body 15 is attached outwardly to each branch 5 preferably by means of threaded bolts 17 and 20, which are extended through the flange portions 3 and 12 as Well as through the branches 5, through bars 22 inside of the inflatable bodies 15, and through washers 23. Nuts 24 are screwed upon the ends of the bolts 17 and 20, and the bolts 17 are formed as hollow valve stems constructed like valves of pneumatic inner tubes on automobile wheels or the like. Through these valve-like bolts 17 air can be forced into the bodies 15, and the air is retained therein by means of any suitable non-return-check valve mechanisms contained in the bolts 17. Thus each body 15 can be inflated by means of a bicycle tire pump, or by any other source of compressed air. A pillow case 25, or any other suitable envelope, which preferably is provided with a slide fastener 27 (Fig. 3) for opening it, is placed over the inflated bodies 15 and the member 1, in substantially the same manner in which a pillow case is placed over any ordinary pillow. My new and improved fillerless pillow can be adjusted, so that it will be softer or harder, simply by inflating the bodies 15 more or less, and by increasing or decreasing the air pressure in the same. The bodies 15 preferably are made of plastic material, but they can be made also of rubber or of any other resilient or expandable material.

Referring now to Figs. 4, 5 and 6, the numeral 30 denotes an I-shaped flat base plate of plastic material, wood, metal, or the like which has a web portion 31 and a pair of flange portions 32. A pair of angular members 33 are secured with their horizontal branches to the web j portion 31 adjacent the flange portions, 32, by means of bolts 34 or the like. Each one of the vertical branches may be a piece of pipe or a solid rod, or the like, has its ends extended through, and secured to the bars 35 and 37 as well as through the vertical branches of the members 33. Each one of the bars 37 is located within an inflated body 41, which is substantially the same as the body 15 of Figs. 1 to 3. Threaded bolts 42 and 43 extend through the end portions of the bars 35 and 37 and are secured thereto by means of nuts 44 or the like. Washers 45, or any other suitable spacing members are interposedbetween the bars 35 and 37,,and the bolts 43 'are formed as hollow valve stems constructed like valves of pneumatic inner tubes on automobile wheels'orthelike.

Through these valve-like bolts 43 air can be forced 'into the bodies 41. The air is retained therein by means of any suitable non-return-check valve mechanisms con tained in the bolts 43. Thus, like in the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 3, the bodies 41 can be inflated bymeans of a bicycle tire pump, or by any other source of compressed air. A pillow case 47, or any other suitable envelope,

which preferably is provided with a slide fastener 50 i (Fig. '6), for making the interior of the pillow case 47, accessible,,is placed over the elements 41 and 30, in substantially the same manner in which a pillow case is placed over any ordinary pillow. My new and improved fillerless pillow can be adjusted, so that it will be softer or harder, simply by increasing or reducing the air pressure medications, a vaporizer pump 54, a container for Dry Ice or for any other cooling medium (not shown), as well as any other suitable devices. In order to make itpossible to replenish or to change a medication or the like which is to be inhaled, or/ and to change the pillow temperature and the operation of .the blower 51, I prefer to provide for the following arrangement: a flexible feeder hose 55 has one end connected to the vaporizer pump 54 and extends through any suitable section of the pillow case 47 to a place outside of the pillow, Where its other end is connected to a medication container 57 (Fig. 5). Several such medication containers can be furnished with each pillow, so that there always will be available a sufficient supply of various medications and inhalation substances. The pump 54 is connected to the vaporizer heater 53 by means of a hose 60 or the like within the pillow case 47. The blower 51 is attached to a bar 35 preferably by means of a swivel socket 61 or the like, so as to make it possible to vary the position of the blower, for instance from the position shown in full lines to the position indicated by dash-and-dotted lines in Figs. 4 and 6. I prefer to adjust and control the operation of the devices 51, 53 and 54 by means of a portable switchboard 62, which may be placed at any suitable location outside of the pillow case 47, so that it can be used conveniently by a person resting on the pillow or by an attendant, or a nurse, or the like. The switchboard 62, which may be formed as a box, like a small radio apparatus, preferably has a timer 63 for setting a predetermined period of time of operation; a tell-tale lamp 64 for indicating Whether or not the device is in operation; a fuse 67; a four-way switch 70 for the blower 51 for causing the same to produce cold wind, warm wind, heat only or to be ed; a regulator switch 71 for controlling the pump 54, so that the same provides for strong, or medium, or mild inhalation or switches the same 011?; and a row of heat control buttons of which the button 72 is for high temperature, thebutton 73 for medium temperature, the button 74 for low temperature, and the button 75 for switching 'ofi the heat. A first cable 77 connects the device to a source of current (not shown) by means of a plug 80 or the like; a second cable 81 extends into the pillow case 47 and connects the blowers 51, which is one of the customary small hot-orcold air blowers, to terminals 82, 83 and 84 on the switchboard 62; a third cable 85 connects a heating element (not shown) in the vaporizer 53 to terminals 87 and 90 on the switchboard 62; and a fourth cable 91 connects and electric motor of the vaporizer pump 54 to terminals 92, 93 and 94 on the switchboard 62.

If a pillow is intended for use normally as an ordinary pillow, but occasionally also as a medicated and/or aircooled or heated pillow with or without vaporizer, the auxiliary devices, such as are shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 as well as any others not shown in the present instance, can normally be stored, in a suitable case or the like, to be installed into the pillow when needed.

Since certain changes may be made in the above article and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which as a matter of language might be said to fall therebetween.

' I-shaped member having a horizontal web portion as well as vertical parallel flange portions which are rightangularly disposed to the web portion, a pair of angle bars each of which has two branches and one of said branches of each angle bar being secured to each one of the flange portions of said I-shaped member, an I-shaped sheet of soft material having a web portion as well as flange portions and extending over said I-shaped member as well as over the first branch of said angle bar, inflatable bodies attached to the said angle bars and extending beyond the same, and a pillow case encompassing said inflated bodies, said I-shaped member, said I-shaped sheet and said angle bars.

2. A fillerless pillow comprising an I-shaped member having a horizontal web portion as well as vertical parallel flange portions rightangularly disposed to the web portion, bars parallel to said flange portions and protruding beyond the same being secured thereto, a cushioning member extending over one side of the web portion of said I-shaped member and over both sides of the flange portions of the same, inflatable bodies attached to the bars protruding beyond the same, and a pillow case encompassing said inflated bodies, said I-shaped member, and said bars.

3. A device of the character described comprising an I-shaped member having a horizontal web portion as well as vertical parallel flange portions rightangularly disposed to the web portion, bars parallel to said flange portions and protruding beyond the same being secured thereto, a soft cover member extending over one side of the web portion of said I-shaped member and over both sides of the flange portions of the I-shaped member, inflatable bodies attached to the bars protruding beyond the same, and an, envelope encompassing said inflated bodies, said I-shaped member, said soft cover member and said bars, the web portion of said I-shaped member being adjacent an inside portion of said envelope whereas the flange portions extend into the envelope so as to provide therebetween space for a blower, a vaporizer and a pump all of which are mounted on said I-shaped member within said envelope and are connected by conduit means to' a medication container and a portable switchboard outside of said envelope.

4. A fillerless pillow comprising a resilient longitudinal member having a flat main portion and vertical parallel References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Thompson Nov. 2, 1880 Duckworth May 26, 1914 Williams July 19, 1927 Rightmire July 17, 1934 Goldsmith Jan. 3, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Mat. 4, 1897 Great Britain Sept. 9, 1940 

